Blog Posts by Everyday Health

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today

Thirty years ago this week, researchers and clinicians were putting the finishing touches on an article intended for the June 5 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Titled "Pneumocystis Pneumonia - Los Angeles," the seven-paragraph report was the first dispatch from the front lines of humanity's remarkable war against a previously unknown virus.

The war began with a complete lack of good news - the new disease was almost 100 percent fatal, often within weeks or months. No one knew what caused it or how it was transmitted. No one knew how to prevent it, to treat it, and certainly not how to cure it.

Thirty years on, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is still raging, but the news from the front is more and more positive.

Infection can be prevented, if people have the will. The virus is increasingly well understood, as is the immune system and the host-pathogen interaction. The disease can be treated,

By Sharon Tanenbaum

How many calories have you eaten today? And how many should you consume if you're trying to maintain your current weight or lose those last 10 pounds? If you're like most Americans, you probably don't know the answers to these calorie-counting questions, according to a new survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, a not-for-profit health education organization.

A scant 9 percent of Americans keep track of how many calories they eat every day, the survey found. The same percentage were able to accurately estimate how many calories they should eat each day.

RELATED: 8 Nuts to Go Nuts For

With so many weight loss plans focused on certain nutrients - Load up on protein! Banish carbs! Eat "healthy" fats! - counting calories may seem downright passé. But you shouldn't discount this powerful weight loss tool, say experts.

In fact, the "secret" to losing weight for good isn't eliminating carbs or eating gallons of

By Beth W. Orenstein Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

The National Eating Disorders Association has a message: Be comfortable in your genes. "I think that's a great slogan because it emphasizes that so much of our body shape is attributed to genetics and we tend forget that," says Sari Fine Shepphird, PhD, a Los Angeles clinical psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, body image, and sport and performance psychology.

When we look in the mirror, most of us focus more on what we don't like about our shape, whether that's our big thighs or small breasts. "Over time, we come to see bodies as ornamental rather than instrumental," Dr. Shepphird says. "We see our bodies as something to be looked at rather than used and appreciated."

RELATED: The Power of Positive Psychology

We hold ourselves up to the women we see on in magazines and on television, movies, and billboards, and develop a negative self-image when we can't compare. The media portrays the

By Regina Boyle Wheeler Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

If you want to turn up the heat on your sex life, give the missionary position the night off and experiment with new sexual positions from the Kama Sutra, the ageless text considered the bible of better sex for lovers all over the world.

The Kama Sutra, or the "Rules of Love," is a 2,000-year-old book written by an Indian Hindu scholar. "This ancient Eastern approach to love has proven itself a timeless love manual and a guide to relationships on how to create harmony, pleasuring, and happiness between the sexes," says Yvonne K. Fulbright, PhD, MSEd, a nationally known sex therapist and author of several books on sexuality, including Sultry Sex Talk to Seduce any Lover.

Although the Kama Sutra is famous for its description of dozens of sexual positions for better sex, Fulbright says the book goes much deeper than that. "Its universal, timeless message is its presentation of sex as sacred, a gift from God

By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Is it time for a step-up in your salary? Even if that rightful raise is long overdue, actually asking for it can be the hardest part. So before you schedule a meeting with your manager, you'll want to do some research and carefully plan your approach.

Here's your first step: According to standard career counseling guidelines, it's important to research the salaries of people who do your job at other organizations. Making this comparison could give you leverage when asking for a salary increase.

RELATED: The Job That Got Away: 10 of Life's Biggest Regrets

So does that mean you should suggest to your boss that you'd be making a better salary somewhere else? Not necessarily, says researcher Hannah Riley Bowles, PhD, an associate professor at the Kennedy School for Business at Harvard University - especially if you're a woman.

"My research suggests that this type of argument - that you could get a

By Sharon Tanenbaum
As billions (!) of people tuned in to watch the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (now, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), millions likely shed a tear (or a few) as the stunning bride was escorted in by her father or as the groom first saw his wife-to-be or when those fateful vows were exchanged.

RELATED: 8 Love Lessons From Kate and William

But why? The vast majority of us don't personally know the bride and groom. And, seeing as this is a wedding, it's a happy occasion, so why shed tears that are typically reserved for moments of sadness or stress?

"Our individual reactions are based on the feelings evoked within us while we witness an event," explains Shoshana Bennett, PhD, a clinical psychologist and host of The Dr. Shosh radio show. "It has little or nothing to do with the actual people involved." Instead, whether we cry or not has more to do with our personalities and past experiences, she says.

RELATED: Kiss and Tell: The History of

By Sharon Tanenbaum

When it comes to scary movies, the "you either love them or hate them" cliché is never truer. Fans of frightful flicks savor the exhilarating experience of sitting in a pitch-black theater watching a horrific story unfold, with their mouths hanging open and eyes half covered. Horror movie haters, on the other hand, can't fathom why on earth you'd intentionally choose to put yourself in a heart-racing, cold sweat, can't-sleep-for-the-next-three nights-straight situation.

RELATED: 8 Must-See Health Movies

So which camp do you fall into? Here's what your scary movie philosophy says about your personality:

Your Brain on Scary Movies

The telephone rings. A young girl at home (alone, of course) answers, "Hello?" as a deep, menacing voice on the other end responds, "What's your favorite scary movie?" She plays along at first but soon realizes that this isn't a game. There's a killer on the loose. Outside of her house, and about to come inside.

By Sharon Tanenbaum

How does the White House garden grow? In part, by planting new types of produce each year. At the garden's spring planting, First Lady Michelle Obama announced that beets would be growing in the White House Garden for the first time, despite the president's distaste for them. "The president doesn't like beets," Obama told the group of elementary school volunteers. "But it's okay. We're an equal opportunity garden."

The colorful root vegetable joined the more than 50 varieties of fruits and vegetables in the 2-year old-garden that has yielded a whopping 2,000 pounds of produce. Last spring, Obama and her volunteers added bok choy, cauliflower, artichokes, and mustard greens to the garden's bounty.

RELATED: Joy Bauer's Guide to Eating for Better Health

Even though the First Couple may not be big on beets, their addition reinforces Michelle Obama's healthy-eating message on the importance of trying new foods (especially vegetables and fruit)